It is known from practice that certain packaging machines, for example thermoforming packaging machines, are cooled during operation. Cooling may be performed during packaging whereby cooling fluid is conveyed to heatable tool components of the packaging machine (e.g., forming tools or sealing tools) in order to dissipate heat from them. For a thermoforming packaging machine this can aid the cooling-down process of the formed film. Such cooling can prevent tool components from heating up too much and posing a risk of injury to operating staff.
It has been found that it is important for uniform packaging quality to control the cooling process of the respective tool components of the thermoforming packaging machine such that an energy-level pre-set for the respective tool component remains constant during the packaging cycle, i.e., that the cooling capacity is controllable such that the tool components being cooled do not overheat or undercool.
It is furthermore true that packaging machines, in particular thermoforming packaging machines, for packaging food products are installed in a refrigerated surrounding, so that the food products to be packaged do not heat up too much during the packaging process, which would possibly cause the food products to spoil.
An efficiently cooled packing machine can therefore also ensure that the food products to be packaged are continuously exposed to a constant ambient temperature so that their cooling chain is not broken even during the packaging process.
Working in a continuously refrigerated environment, in particular in the region of a refrigerated packaging machine at for example 3-8° C., however, can lead to increased sickness times of the staff operating the packaging machine. Operators who are positioned for loading food products into pre-produced package trays along a loading stretch of a thermoforming packaging machine often fall sick much easier, most likely due to exposure to the cold.